For lovers of Japanese food, vegetarian expert Miyoko Nishimoto Schinner's latest book, Japanese Cooking Contemporary & Traditional, showcases the essence of Japanese cuisine. Traditional dishes and regional specialties, along with everyday favorites of the 20th century Japanese housewife and the new "nouveau Japonaise" recipes, all display the delectable flavors and stunning presentation that Japanese food is famous for.

One of the world's most healthful cuisine's is made even healthier by utilizing tofu, seitan, and other vegetarian foods as substitutes for those meals usually prepared with meat, fish or fowl-with traditional tasting results. The Japanese diet, although not vegetarian, has a history of vegetarian cooking in Buddhist temples as well as an abundance of traditional vegetable- and legume-based dishes.

Miyoko's extensive knowledge of Japan's culinary customs, along with her childhood memories and favorite foods, help make Japanese Contemporary & Traditional, a truly unique Japanese cookbook.

Miyoko Nishimoto Schinner is the owner of the Now and Zen bakery and vegetarian restaurant in San Francisco, which has received acclaim from local critics. She was born in Yokohama, Japan, and graduated from St. John's College in Maryland. Her bilingual bicultural background has endowed her with the creativity and originality of the West and the aesthetic sense of the East. Miyoko has developed a line of gourmet cakes and vegetarian meat substitutes that can be found in health food stores across the country. She is also the author of The Now and Zen Epicure: Gourmet Cuisine for the Enlightened Palate.